Related Quotes

Company Profile

Terry Rawnsley
,
SGS Economics & Planning
principal, hailed the plan’s focus on jobs as a “big leap ­forward" on the previous plan, Melbourne 2030, which was devised under a Labor government more than a decade ago.

“The negative is that the plan may not recognise the changes in economic geography over the last 20 years," Mr Rawnsley said.

Over that time, knowledge services had driven employment growth as manufacturing-based jobs dwindled. The number of jobs in the CBD had doubled to close to 500,000 in the last two decades.

“But the plan is talking about much slower growth in the CBD over the next 30 years," Mr Rawnsley said.

Major infrastructure – such the city rail loop and the CityLink tollways – had also led changes in employment and investment.

“Market forces will respond more to infrastructure and connectivity improvements than they will just from planning directives," Mr Rawnsley said.